A new Chrome update and a Samsung launch event next week point to a major
Chrome OS announcement at next week’s Google I/O conference

The long-awaited launch of devices running Google’s operating system, Chrome OS, looks set to take place at the search giant’s I/O conference in San Francisco next week.

A new update to Chrome OS has prepared the ground for a product that’s ready for sale, introducing a much-requested file manager and improved access to private “VPN” networks that corporations use to access internal systems.

Chrome OS currently exists primarily on Google’s CR-48 laptop, a trial device that has been distributed for free to developers and potential users. Based on Google’s Chrome web browser, it is based on the principle that most users’ needs can be met via web-based services. The hardware, however, is described as "experimental".

Samsung has however already been announced as a hardware partner for when devices eventually go on sale. The company has invited journalists to an event after Google I/O closes on Wednesday 11 May. The invite says “We wish we could tell you the details now, but that wouldn’t be any fun”. The event is set to be a celebration of the new announcements Google will make at I/O.

Speculation continues, however, that the number of actual devices available at I/O will be limited, suggesting that the computers will not be going on sale imminently. Google, which made no official comment, has previously said that devices will retail in the summer.